A simple story of a high school boy who attends a live band performance isn’t an uncommon conversation, no matter the year you were born. As a short film concept, combined with one of the most creative visual tellings premiered in the Tribeca Film Festival, “The Velvet Underground Played At My High School” is incredibly unique. The director, Anthony Jannelli, is a comprehensive narrator, but the film shines in its dynamic black-and-white style of still-frame animation. The film’s responsibility to show the perspective of the early 1960s climate is respectfully told through its nostalgic style of narration- as if your grandfather tells a story to you by a fireplace at four in the afternoon. The frame-to-frame animation is smoothly transitioned with appropriate special effects. Many animators tend to break this illusion with misfit or obnoxious edits, but Jannelli makes each visual transition feel natural. When “The Velvet Underground” is first premiered on screen, you’re privileged with a complete contrast in animation quality and style that fits the psychedelic and nonsensical overtones of the band’s performance. The narration aligns perfectly other these segments, especially when he describes facial features and the band’s unusual use of their instruments. These segments are unbelievably detailed to the point you’ll question whether or not there’s a filter over an old videotape. The surreal impact the performance had on the narrator offers the audience the same sense of nostalgia; the film makes us think of our own bizarre memories while it effectively establishes its own positive perspective on taboo music. “The Velvet Underground Played At My High School” shows the director’s competence in presentation. The long, yet simple name welcomes the viewer to a story you can sit down and listen to, to gain further perspective on the revolutionary music of the 1960s. The band segments alone are enough to sell the film’s tone, but the overall production shows Jannelli’s proficiency in...

While recent years have seen bands who bear more than a passing similarity to our flannel-clad forefathers, it feels incorrect to ascribe the grunge distinction to any band past 1999. The reason is simple: Despite what some brand-marketing executives might have you believe, the label “grunge” has always referred to an ethos and aesthetic, rather than a sound. The Smashing Pumpkins never had much in common with Nirvana, and if we’re being honest here, Pearl Jam was just an above average dad-rock band. The grunge designation refers as much to a bands context within their sub-cultural landscape as the band’s music itself. It’s this understanding that makes How to Peach, by Resilient so impressive. During the album’s 43 minute run-time, the Philadelphia-based femme-rockers effectively take you on a scenic tour of the many avenues of Grunge, from quaint garages to open-air arenas. But while their influences are clear throughout, How to Peach remains a creative achievement by never veering into hero-worship territory. At the album’s mellifluous center are singer/rhythm guitarist Erin Fox’s elastic vocal-work and apropos lyrics. Fox displays a major talent for writing and performing lyrics that compliment the band’s instrumentation, no matter which influence they happen to be wearing at the time. During one of the minor sounding passages on Ceiling, where Fox delivers the line “It’s not like you would really understand the way I feel right now,” in a smokey affectation, evoking images of a lounge-act on a dimly-lit stage. On Medication, a song about the dulling effects of anti-depressants, Fox manically shifts cadences from listless and aggravated, to sarcastic and bemused (Fox’s delivery as she reads the side effects off her medications warning label is an album highlight). This understanding of tonality lends itself toward some of the albums most clever moments and provides an opportunity for Fox to place her vocal dynamics on full display. And quite a display it is. From spiraling vocal riffs, to banshee-like screeching, Fox performs with the confidence of somebody who is used to commanding attention. But while Fox commands attention from the first track, this isn’t quite a one-woman-show. Bassist Alicia Dickerson and drummer Katie Fox provide the foundation of each track more than competently, with Dickerson picking always-catchy, vintage sounding bass-lines over Fox’s solid grooves. And with the rhythm section accounting for much of the albums...

A simple story of a high school boy who attends a live band performance isn’t an uncommon conversation, no matter the year you were born. As a short film concept, combined with one of the most creative visual tellings premiered in the Tribeca Film Festival, “The Velvet Underground Played At My High School” is incredibly unique. The director, Anthony Jannelli, is a comprehensive narrator, but the film shines in its dynamic...

While recent years have seen bands who bear more than a passing similarity to our flannel-clad forefathers, it feels incorrect to ascribe the grunge distinction to any band past 1999. The reason is simple: Despite what some brand-marketing executives might have you believe, the label “grunge” has always referred to an ethos and aesthetic, rather than a sound. The Smashing Pumpkins never had much in common with Nirvana, and if we’re...

“Punk is dead.” It’s a sentiment nearly as old as the genre itself, and yet, punk exhibits signs of life, in recent years by adopting contemporary sounds, and occasionally, and momentarily becoming culturally relevant. While the days of CBGB’s and basement shows are behind us, there is still some life left to live for the average punk who is willing to accept trace amounts of modernity. Voice of Addiction might just be one of those...

Over the years, the Caped Crusader has protected the citizens of Gotham City from god knows what. Crawling out of the dark abyss, sewers, having a mental breakdown or just the need to kill people, these are the men, women and creature that never gave the big bat a break. Here are the top 10 best Batman villains. 10: Poison Ivy: Can you say Mother Nature? This sexy redhead controls the vines of the earth with her own blood fused with...

“Hand of Fate 2” is a surprisingly engaging experience that’s on its way to becoming an indie classic. Developed by Defiant Studios, this RPG adventure blends “Dungeon & Dragons” with in-depth action elements. This game takes you back to medieval times, where you’re allowed to design your route through a series of mini side stories that keep the game feeling fresh with every varying objective. With solid presentation, this is a...

Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp take on the role of sisters able to communicate with the unknown in “Planatarium,” leading them to become the center of attention from filmmaking vultures. However, the bond between these sisters is not something you can add special effects to for a movie. Ironically, “Planetarium” is filled with historical context and a bond between sisters, but no actual connection to its title. The end...